5 Ways to improve your trivia skills
Improving your trivia game is basic by following these simple steps.
Be Specific
This is all about the Specificity Principle. If you want to run a faster 100 meter race you will train specifically for it. Swimming, Kayaking and Cycling may be of some value but you really need to run and run fast. You are not going to want to run marathons or only ever run 20 meters. You need to practice reaction time, the block starts, the transition phase, top speed and holding your speed for as long as possible over the full 100 meters. In short, you need to run 100 meters in training if you want to reach your full potential in a 100 meter race.
The same needs to be applied when you are studying for a Pub Trivia Night. Simulate as closely as you can the environment of your local pub. If it is a little dark, turn the lights down at home while you study. If you normally compete after lamb shanks and two pale ales then eat lamb shanks and drink pale ales at home. It will normally be noisy at the Pub, so simulate this environment at home as well, you might do this by turning the TV on loudly in the lounge room and set a radio up in the bathroom playing 80’s party anthems while you study your trivia questions. If someone invariably spills a partially drunk vodka soda water on you during a Pub Trivia Night then you are going to want to simulate your own beverage spill at home. Get a duplicate of the same pens or pencils your pub uses at their trivia nights. Set yourself a time limit on answering that is in step with your local quiz.
Answer Every Question
The well of knowledge you have stored within you is often far greater than you can imagine. Too often though people cut themselves off before they have truly given themselves the opportunity to access their complete knowledge pool. The best way to practice is to make sure you put down an answer for every single question. The act of writing kick starts your mind into thinking deeper. Even if you think you are wrong and feel silly, just write something down. You miss all of the shots you don’t take. Traditionally you don’t lose points for wrong answers at Pub Trivia Nights, so give yourself every chance every question. This trains your mind to be more confident and switched on. A non answer is no longer an option and you might fluke the correct answer anyway. So answer every question even if you don’t feel like you have a clue.
Study a Little, Often
Whilst we have all crammed the night before an exam, it is far easier and effective to acquire knowledge bit by bit over time. You could invest as little as 10 minutes a week in trivia training and over a year you have racked up another 500 questions you know the answer to. Consistent study really is the key. If you want quicker results that is fine, study 20 minutes a week and learn 1000 questions a year and so on.
Regular consistent training keeps your mind in the right gear and you are always warmed up and good to go when the questions start heading your way.
Investigate Your Recall Skills
You are going to want to be able to measure your improvement as you study. This will help to highlight any areas that you are currently not so good in. Remember, to be good at something you first have to be bad at it. If you undertake an investigation into your knowledge and recall skills you will have the tools to improve. A trivia training program like Pub Quiz Prep is the perfect way to easily take regular trivia tests and identify your strong and weak knowledge areas.
By doing the ground work and self analysis you can approach your future Pub Trivia Nights with confidence. You have stuck to a plan and done the training. Now you can go out and utilise the improved skill set you have and enjoy the success that follows.
Compete
There is little point training if you never compete. Competition keeps you hungry for success and motivates you to stick to your goals and improve. Competition is also the chance to enjoy all your hard work. You have spent time and effort investing in your trivia training and like a concert pianist you now get to let yourself go. You no longer need the sheet music so to speak you can walk onto your stage and just perform.
This is all about the Specificity Principle. If you want to run a faster 100 meter race you will train specifically for it. Swimming, Kayaking and Cycling may be of some value but you really need to run and run fast. You are not going to want to run marathons or only ever run 20 meters. You need to practice reaction time, the block starts, the transition phase, top speed and holding your speed for as long as possible over the full 100 meters. In short, you need to run 100 meters in training if you want to reach your full potential in a 100 meter race.
The same needs to be applied when you are studying for a Pub Trivia Night. Simulate as closely as you can the environment of your local pub. If it is a little dark, turn the lights down at home while you study. If you normally compete after lamb shanks and two pale ales then eat lamb shanks and drink pale ales at home. It will normally be noisy at the Pub, so simulate this environment at home as well, you might do this by turning the TV on loudly in the lounge room and set a radio up in the bathroom playing 80’s party anthems while you study your trivia questions. If someone invariably spills a partially drunk vodka soda water on you during a Pub Trivia Night then you are going to want to simulate your own beverage spill at home. Get a duplicate of the same pens or pencils your pub uses at their trivia nights. Set yourself a time limit on answering that is in step with your local quiz.
Answer Every Question
The well of knowledge you have stored within you is often far greater than you can imagine. Too often though people cut themselves off before they have truly given themselves the opportunity to access their complete knowledge pool. The best way to practice is to make sure you put down an answer for every single question. The act of writing kick starts your mind into thinking deeper. Even if you think you are wrong and feel silly, just write something down. You miss all of the shots you don’t take. Traditionally you don’t lose points for wrong answers at Pub Trivia Nights, so give yourself every chance every question. This trains your mind to be more confident and switched on. A non answer is no longer an option and you might fluke the correct answer anyway. So answer every question even if you don’t feel like you have a clue.
Study a Little, Often
Whilst we have all crammed the night before an exam, it is far easier and effective to acquire knowledge bit by bit over time. You could invest as little as 10 minutes a week in trivia training and over a year you have racked up another 500 questions you know the answer to. Consistent study really is the key. If you want quicker results that is fine, study 20 minutes a week and learn 1000 questions a year and so on.
Regular consistent training keeps your mind in the right gear and you are always warmed up and good to go when the questions start heading your way.
Investigate Your Recall Skills
You are going to want to be able to measure your improvement as you study. This will help to highlight any areas that you are currently not so good in. Remember, to be good at something you first have to be bad at it. If you undertake an investigation into your knowledge and recall skills you will have the tools to improve. A trivia training program like Pub Quiz Prep is the perfect way to easily take regular trivia tests and identify your strong and weak knowledge areas.
By doing the ground work and self analysis you can approach your future Pub Trivia Nights with confidence. You have stuck to a plan and done the training. Now you can go out and utilise the improved skill set you have and enjoy the success that follows.
Compete
There is little point training if you never compete. Competition keeps you hungry for success and motivates you to stick to your goals and improve. Competition is also the chance to enjoy all your hard work. You have spent time and effort investing in your trivia training and like a concert pianist you now get to let yourself go. You no longer need the sheet music so to speak you can walk onto your stage and just perform.
